Sometimes life takes you places you’d never expect. Suddenly you are walking the apocalyptic aisles of a rural Target, and you just have to wonder at the strange series of seemingly unconnected choices that lead you there. For me, the strange journey has brought me to the foreign shore of running.

So, a while back I had a fail while using Google maps that lead to a day of minor catastrophe. The Mrs. decided that day that the best way to soothe her discomfort was to go and get kittens. That’s what we did. We went and adopted a pair of lovely boy kitties from the local humane society. This of course was just the beginning of our troubles.

I’ve been picking up new hobbies lately. My latest is actually a recurrence from childhood: Lego. On this blog I’ve mostly stuck to my ‘Portlandish’ activities, ranting about cycling and hiking and books. With the recent shift in my life, putting aside my job and becoming a hausmann and full-time dad, so too have I been taking this blog in slightly different directions.

Among the changes that my summer brought was a marked decrease in cycling. I still pick up my son from school by bike, but that amounts to about two miles a day. My commute to the book mines had increased to 16 miles a day before I left. A big change for a dude in his filthy forties. I was worried that I might start packing on some pounds if I didn’t do something, so I did what any geek does to solve a problem: I bought a gadget.

Not so long ago I planned a solo backpacking trip, three days in the woods. It seemed like a simple thing. My wife would drive me out to the trail head one morning, then return a couple of days later to take me home. I looked at the trail maps and planned out the days. I googled the directions and we headed out.

My son is just finishing up his second week of kindergarten. This is a big time for him, starting actual school and being away from Mom and Dad for over thirty hours a week. Homework. New friends. Big times. Of course, there is also a shift for me too. I have started to shift into the next stage of my own migration.

I’m setting out today on a three day hike. I’ll cover over 30 miles of wilderness that I’ve never seen before, and I’m excited. This trip is a first for me in a number of ways. This will be the second trip of the summer, the first time that I’ve had a second trip. It will be my first time on these trails. It will also be the first time that I go by myself.